LOS ANGELES, CA- Back in 2018, I got to sit down with ABIR ahead of her Regent Theatre performance—and let me tell you, even with just her and a guitarist onstage, her presence lit up the venue. As I wrote at the time: “To say that ABIR performs with a joy would be an understatement… her presence on stage was boundless, and whenever she addressed the audience her smile beamed bright, and the audience reciprocated the energy she radiated.” Those early Mint EP days were all about effervescence, playful sass, and pristine vocals that felt both empowered and relatable.
Fast forward to 2025, and that same magnetic glow remains, but now there’s a sharper focus, imbued with lived experience and clarity. ABIR latest single, “Love Ain’t Blind,” is the final teaser before her debut full-length The Game drops on September 10 via EMPIRE. Over infectious, bright pop-R&B production, she confronts a toxic lover with no blinders on. It’s witty, uncompromising….and yes, a pretty dope jam.
This song follows a steady stream of releases: “Nothing New,” “Butterflies,” “Made For You,” and “Something Real”: Each of those track unspool a narrative arc toward what The Game promises to be: a deeply personal and emotionally layered debut. As ABIR shares, the album explores love as a mirror of self-awareness—where your true opponent in relationships is often your own ego, fears, or outdated patterns. Her words echo with maturity: the “story I’ve lived and others I’ve watched unfold… love tends to mirror a game that’s not just with someone else, but with yourself.”
What makes The Game especially intriguing is that it is not just her debut album, it’s her return, after nearly four years, with the added dimension of motherhood shaping her perspective. That evolution alone promises a new depth to her songwriting and delivery.
If you loved the effusive joy and charisma she radiated during the Mint era, The Game is poised to bring that light into sharper, more nuanced focus. And if “Love Ain’t Blind” is any indication, her vision has only grown more vivid.
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